An optimistic Karis Teetan will bid for a Valley double with a difference this weekend, with the Mauritian boasting live chances in the Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) on Saturday and back in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Teetan will ride in the prestigious Group One at Moonee Valley for the first time and is set to partner Evaporate, who steps up to a mile and a quarter after finishing third in the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1,600m).

He will then turn his attention to Happy Valley on Sunday when he reunites with Tomodachi Kokoroe in the Class Two Guangzhou Handicap (1,200m).

“I’m looking forward to going back to Melbourne,” Teetan said after riding in the Group One Caulfield Cup (2,400m) last weekend. “It’s a good opportunity and it looks like a great race, so it’s going to be interesting.

“He’s got no weight with 49.5kg [109 pounds] on his back and he loves the track. I’ll speak to the Hayes boys and see what they think, but if we can get a good run, I think he should give us his best.”

The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Evaporate is unbeaten at Moonee Valley from three starts, headlined by a powerful Group Two win over 1,600m on September 27.

While he was unable to register his first top-level victory in the Caulfield Guineas on October 12, the son of Per Incanto hit the line strongly ahead of the James Cummings-trained Broadsiding, who he reopposes on Saturday.

Evaporate is currently priced around $21 in overseas fixed-odds markets to follow in the footsteps of last year’s Cox Plate hero, Romantic Warrior, when he jumps from barrier six in the nine-runner field.

Japanese raider Prognosis, who finished second to Romantic Warrior in the past two renewals of the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin, is the $3.5 favourite for the contest. Via Sistina, Pride Of Jenni and Broadsiding are also prominent in the market.

The 34-year-old also partners Red Hot Nicc in the opening race on the card and The Bantam in a Group Two over 2,040m.

Teetan could be popular with the Hayes family come Sunday evening, with the rider hopping aboard three gallopers for David Hayes – father of Ben, Will and JD – during a rare day meeting at Happy Valley on Sunday afternoon.

Alongside Gallant Crown, who contests the Class Four Foshan Handicap (1,650m), and Sight Happy, who lines up in the Class Four Kwangtung Cup (1,000m), Teetan teams up with the veteran handler’s Tomodachi Kokoroe in the feature.

The Written Tycoon gelding enjoyed a successful 2023-24 season, rising 33 points to a rating of 94 after saluting twice under Teetan over the city circuit’s 1,200m course.

“He handles the track pretty well,” Teetan said. “He’s doing well, he’s fresh, he’s ready to go and I’m looking forward to riding him.”

Teetan also hunts for a hat-trick of wins with the Me Tsui Yu-sak-trained Arthur’s Kingdom in the Class Four Shenzhen Handicap (1,800m).

“He’s done so well and Me Tsui’s turned him around,” Teetan said. “He dropped a lot in the ratings, but he’s going well and I think he should handle Class Four with the low weight [118 pounds] on his back.”